From the desk of Marlys Rudeen – Deputy State Librarian

Traipsing through issues of the San Juan Islander for January-April 1907 is serious business.  For the islanders are a litigious lot and there seems to be a fair amount of news regarding lawyers, courts, suits and arrests in what we think of today as an idyllic vacation spot.  I’ve picked out a few events that struck me as interesting, but there is far more to be explored.

Feel free to browse through the issues for 1898-1914 on your own at the Chronicling America site,

(http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn88085190/) at the Library of Congress.  Choose the link to ‘Browse’, then use the drop down to choose a year, and the calendar display to choose an issue.

Jan. 5, 1907

1. 1 The first electric street light in Friday Harbor lights up the intersection of Spring and Main streets. Voluntary contributions from citizens will be necessary to purchase additional lights.  The paper takes the stance that incorporation is advisable in order to fund such civic improvements.

Jan. 12, 1907

1. 1 The danger working in lumber mills is underlined by the report of the accident suffered by Dutton McNallie, a 19-year old, who lost his left arm to the planer at the Friday Harbor Mill.
2. 3 Under the heading “No Women Politicians”, the paper quotes Pope Pius X where he exhorts women to do everything they can to care for the poor and uplift civilization, including education. “They should study everything, with, of course, the exception of theology.”  He continues that women should be lawyers, doctors and teacher, but should not enter politics.  “Women in Parliament!  The idea is preposterous.  Men there make blunders sufficient.”

Jan. 26, 1907

1. 1 Former San Juan Co. resident, W. C. Boone, is in jail in Salem, OR, charged with bigamy. Also it seems his name is actually D. M. Richards.  He married a Miss McFadden in Salem on Sept. 15, 1906, failing to mention that he already had a wife in the Bellingham area (and several children) from whom he had never obtained a divorce.  It is also charged that when he married the wife in Bellingham, he already had a wife in Ohio.

The Whatcom County Bar Association has instituted proceeding for the disbarment of E. J. Grover.  Specific charges include misappropriation of funds and soliciting a bribe.  Grover is known for “having been associated with Mr. Garrett in the trial of the Wold-Ziegler cow case.”

The case of the McCrary Liquor License – whether or not to issue a liquor license to W. H. McCrary becomes a burning question in San Juan County.  There will charges and countercharges, sworn affadavits, lawyers and county commissioners weighing in over several months.  See “Officials Clash on License Question.”

Feb. 2, 1907

1. 1 “McCrary Liquor License Held Up.”

Feb. 9, 1907

1. 1 “The ‘Pirates of Penzance’ would have to ‘go away back and sit down’ if they were to come into competition with the fruit and produce commission pirates of Seattle. Compared with them the ‘Forty Thieves’ of the Arabian Nights were mere novices in the art of robbing the public.”

What sort of tactics do fruit and produce pirates employ?  An Orcas Island orchardist shipped 70 boxes of choice apples to the commission, for which he expected payment of about $60 according to current fruit prices.  After considerable time and several letters he went to Seattle and confronted the owner of the shop which had sold the fruit.  The shop owner admitted he had received the fruit in good order and sold it at good prices, but instead of paying the grower he had used the money in his business and so didn’t have it to make payment, and “what are you going to do about it?”  (Pirates, indeed!)

Street lights  – It turns out the single street light was being donated free for a couple months by the local power company.  Now they announce that it will be shut off unless someone raises the money to pay the monthly fee.

Feb. 16, 1907

1. 1 “Special Meeting of Commissioners” (McCrary Liquor License.)

Feb. 23, 1907

1. 1 An argument between citizens, A. Stoliker and Fred Peasley became heated, with such florid language that Mr. Peasely went so far as to attempt to have Mr. Stoliker placed “under bonds to keep the peace.” There was a hearing before Justice Oscar Bergman of the Valley Precinct. “While the evidence showed that the language used by Stoliker wasn’t indicative of a feeling of brotherly love toward Peasley and that it would be somewhat out of place in a Christian Endeavor meeting or high class literary symposium, it did not impress the justice as being of such a character as to indicate that Stoliker was really thirsting for Peasley’s gore… and he was accordingly discharged.”

Mar. 2, 1907

1. 1 “A repeated Misstatement Corrected” (McCrary Liquor License.)
2. 6 The current serialized novel is “The Iron Pirate” by Max Pemberton.

Mar. 16, 1907

1. “A Statement from Commissioner Sandwith.” (McCrary Liquor License.)

Also a new physician settle in Friday Harbor, Dr. George H. Shrodes.

Mar. 23, 1907

1. 1 “Mr. Frits Demands a Retraction.” (McCrary Liquor License.)

Apr. 6, 1907

1. 1 Another saloonkeeper, Fred Lightheart is acquitted in a case involving gambling in his saloon. “While the fact of gambling in the saloon was clearly established, the evidence failed to show that it was done with his knowledge or consent.”  (Perhaps they limited their play to darkened corners?)

Apr. 27, 1907

1. 1 A proposed tax on dogs ($1 for a male, $2 for a female) is said to be unconstitutional by the attorney general. The county attorney had consulted him after the county commissioners proposed the tax.

Ed Gilshenan who was thought to be drowned in the San Juan Channel, turned up safe and sound at his home on Waldron Island.  He did indeed capsize, but managed to reach Brush Island.  Once there it took several days to flag down a steamer that picked him up and allowed him to find his way home.

I’ll leave the islands now but hope you will visit and make the acquaintance of the early citizens.  And in case you’re wondering, Mr. McCrary does indeed get his license, though I would be hard put to identify exactly where and when it happened.

The San Juan Islander was digitized through a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities under the National Digital Newspaper Program.  The Islander and many other American newspapers can be found online at Chronicling America (chroniclingamerica.loc.gov) at the Library of Congress.

Additional newspapers for Washington can be found at Historic Newspapers (www.sos.wa.gov/legacy/newspapers.aspx) at the Washington State Library’s web site.  The State Library is a Division of the Office of the Secretary of State.

With Big Bertha in the news on a regular basis we got to thinking about boring machines in general. Or rather, interesting boring machines.  One in particular comes to mind, from the historic coal mining community of Roslyn, Washington:

From Roslyn local historian, Sue Litchfield:

Steep-pitched mines predominated the Roslyn-Cle Elum Coal Field, making it more expensive to extract coal than the relatively flat coal seams in the east and Midwest. In an effort to cut costs Tom Murphy the mine’s general manager designed and built the N.W.I. Company’s coal boring machine. The boring machine was able to drill crosscuts and air tunnels in a third of the time required by conventional means. “Murphy earned recognition from engineers throughout America and other countries for his genius in coping with the problems of steep-pitch mining in the Roslyn Cle Elum Field,” wrote Cle Elum’s Miner Echo. “A boring machine, first put on paper about 1940 and finally constructed in the Roslyn shops about 2 years ago, was one of his pet projects. Employed at the No. 3 Mine, the machine has eliminated the expensive upkeep of ordinary main airways by boring them 42 inches in diameter through the coal.

These photos of the Northwest Improvement Company’s coal boring machine, as well as other mining machinery and equipment photos were digitized by the Roslyn Public Library with grant assistance from the Washington State Library. They are part of the Washington Rural Heritage Collection and come from the family photo collection of a descendant of Frank Badda, who worked for decades in the Roslyn mines, working his way up to the position of Superintendent until the last mine was closed in 1963.

Oh and back to Big Bertha, she does have one thing that the Roslyn boring machine lacked… a Twitter page.

Image courtesy North Pend Oreille Heritage collection

Library Clippings for the week of July 31, 2015

Library News

Little libraries with big hearts (Mercer Island Reporter, Mercer Island, 7/8/2015)

Buildings

Tukwila is growing up
Drive by the corner of South 144th Street and Tukwila International Boulevard and you’ll see big piles of dirt. It’s hard to miss that Tukwila Village is becoming reality. And, soon, work will begin on the new King County Library branch for Tukwila. (Tukwila Reporter, Kent, 7/–/15)

People

Library recognizes three with Bullitt scholarships
The Seattle Public Library Foundation has announced the winners for the 2015 Stimson Bullitt Civic Courage Scholarship. Three scholarships were awarded to: Natalie Quek, $5,000, for her essay “Preserve Our Islands’ Fight to Protect Maury Island”; Noah Foster-Koth, $2,500, for his essay “Washington State’s Greatest Civil Rights Advocate”; and Lena Easton-Calabria, $2,500, for her essay “Reviving an Ancient Whaling Tradition in the Face of Discrimination: Cultural Courage by the Makah Tribe”. The winning essays can be read at www.civiccouragescholarship.com. (City Living Seattle, Seattle, 7/–/15)
Read the rest of this entry »

WSL UPDATES SPECIAL EDITION FOR FRIDAY, July 31, 2015

Note: The next regular edition of WSL Updates will appear on Thursday, August 6, 2015.

—————————————————————————————————————

JOIN THE SUPERCHARGED COMMUNITY

The Washington State Library is pleased to offer a new learning opportunity for all public library staff members and volunteers in Washington State who are interested in early childhood literacy and storytimes. Supercharged Storytimes, made possible through a partnership of the Washington State Library, Thrive Washington, and OCLC, introduces public library storytime providers to a more effective way to plan and deliver storytimes. Supercharged Storytimes does not replace existing library programs, such as Every Child Ready to Read – it enhances them through techniques proven to be effective by Project VIEWS2 research.

After joining the Supercharged community, public library staff members and volunteers in the state of Washington have access to:

• Recorded webinars that provide an overview of the science and the significance of Supercharged Storytimes;
• Online supporting materials, such as videos, articles, and tools and tip sheets;
• Supercharged discussion forums, offering the ability to share ideas and collaborate with other public library colleagues around the state.

There is no cost for public library staff and volunteers in Washington State to participate. To sign up:

• Go to webjunction.org and click on “Log in” in the upper right-hand corner.
  • Have a WebJunction account? Simply log in with your username and password.
  • New to WebJunction? Follow the instructions to create a new account.
• After logging in, enroll in Supercharged Central -Washington by going to the WebJunction Course Catalog and search courses by entering: Supercharged
• At the enrollment options page, enter the following enrollment key: superchargedWA and then click on “Enroll me.”
• After you select “Enroll me,” you will be see the Supercharged Storytimes community of practice page.
• Welcome to the community – and get ready to supercharge your practice!

—————————————————————————————————————

The Washington State Library has gone social! Friend/follow us at:

• Facebook: fb.me/FBWSL;
• Twitter: com/WAStateLib.

—————————————————————————————————————

An archive of WSL Updates is available at http://list.statelib.wa.gov/read/?forum=wslupdates.

 “Never were maidens more ardently pursued than we were by the elements in the pioneer days of rural bookmobiles in the great Pacific Northwest.”

Thus begins the December 1947 issue of the Library News Bulletin (LNB). The LNB was a publication of the Washington State Library from 1932 – 1975, and one that we have recently decided to digitize.  It contains the early history of the libraries of Washington State.  They have been silently lurking on a shelf near my desk and have only today made themselves known to me.  What a treasure trove they are for those of you interested in Library history.  In the spirit of Steve Willis I pulled the aforementioned issue off the shelf and discovered an entire “Bulletin” dedicated to Bookmobiles. In 1947 bookmobiles were apparently the hot ticket in Washington.  These staunch librarians ventured out all over the state, bringing books to their most remote patrons.  Here are a series of quotes from the issue, including stories that they reported from their rounds.

“’I have an emergency request,’ Declared a ten year old bookmobile patron.  “My penguin is sick.  Have you a book telling what to do for a sick penguin?” – Snohomish County Library.

When the cranberry growers on the Burrows Road were too busy to come to the bookmobile in the midst of harvest this fall, driver Charles Jackson and librarian Mary Botten walked out on the bogs and helped with the harvesting.” – Grays Harbor County Library

“’My wife wants this book renewed.’ “I’m sorry sir but I have another reservation for that book.  I shall have to keep it for the next reader.’ “Good enough for her, serves her right.  I told her she should be reading her books instead of moving the furniture around the house to some new place where nobody can find anything.’” – Snohomish County Library

“At one stop, a woman and her two children always arrive in the family ‘jeep.’  She was absent one day, and the bookmobile had traveled several miles when the driver heard a queer sound and looked back to discover that we were being chased by a jeep!” – Whatcom County Library.

“Along a lonely country road a lady, scarcely middle-aged, flagged the bookmobile. ‘Could I have library books?  I can’t get to any of the scheduled stops and I am so ill that there is nothing left for me to do but read.’  Dropsy, from which she is suffering has already developed to such an extent that boarding the bookmobile is physical impossibility.  Our schedule was already crowded.  An added stop threw off the whole day’s program.  So what?  There were always the few minutes assigned to lunch. We found a way.” – Snohomish County Library

“The traveling library again reaches the flats and there stands ‘Grandpap,” one-eyed and 90 years old, with his book-filled suitcase ready for exchange, A woman, nearly out of breath, hurries into the library gasping, ‘I was in Vancouver and I almost didn’t get back in time to meet you here and I just don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have anything to read.” – Clark County Library

“One of our patrons had trouble remembering when he should go to the bookmobile and always arrived just as we were pulling away from the stop.  One day he arrived exactly on time and someone asked him how it happened.  ‘Oh,’ he replied, ‘my wife sets the alarm for me now, so I’ll know when to leave the house.’” – Whatcom county Library

“At one of our stops the patrons rate only second in our affections.  A little golden cocker spaniel is always there to greet us.  He barks his welcome and wags his tail impatiently until the door is opened, and in he jumps to receive our words of greeting.  After a quick inspection to be sure everything is ship-shape and the librarian and driver on deck, he skips out, quite satisfied that he has exercised true community spirit by recognizing and appreciating the new bookmobile and its staff.” – Snohomish County Library. 

Now a days we reach our patrons on bicycles, at festivals, by email, through electronic chat, and on and on.  These bookmobile stories are just an early example of what we did and what we still do as librarians. We go where our patrons are.  Have a good story to share of going that “extra mile” for your patrons?  Tell us in the comments.

Image courtesy North Pend Oreille Heritage collection

Library Clippings for the week of July 24, 2015

Library News

SCLD gathers input to impact society
Spokane County Library District’s (SCLD) Community Impact Plan for 2013-2015 focused on four areas: to develop young learners, explore and discover, support job seekers and local businesses, and connect communities. In many areas, SCLD exceeded the challenging objectives that it set for itself. SCLD is currently in the beginning stages of work on the 2016-2018 plan. The Board of Trustees will approve the new plan by December 2015. (The Current, Liberty Lake, 7/–/15)

Buildings

New chapter for U-City
Local leaders believe plans for nearly $30 million in development could be a sign that glory days will return to the area near University and Sprague. Included in this figure is a new $14 million Spokane Valley City Hall. A second project across the street is in the hands of voters. A new $14.5 million Spokane Valley Library would be the centerpiece of a $22 million bond proposal the Spokane County Library District is asking voters to consider August 4. The new library would blend its campus with an expansion of Balfour Park. (The Current, Liberty Lake, 7/–/15)
Read the rest of this entry »

From the desk of Marlys Rudeen
I will admit to a weakness for a murder mystery – but one from the early 1920’s with shady characters, a missing trunk, divers in Lake Union, forgery, fraud and general unsavoriness?  Well, that’s irresistible.  And all done up in purple prose by the Seattle Star?  Even better!

Feel free to follow the story yourself by looking at the Seattle Star in Chronicling America (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87093407/issues/1921/).  I’ve listed the dates and pages below.

May 25, 1921, p. 1

Meet James and Kate Mahoney.  James is 37, an ex-convict, paroled from Walla Walla in December of the previous year after assault and robbery charges in Spokane, and a former train conductor before that.  He is being held on forgery charges at the time the story breaks.  He marries Kate Mooers on Feb. 19, 1921.  Kate is 72 and quite well off, owning several buildings in Seattle.   Kate Mooers is the former Kate Keeler “whose dance hall and allied activities at Butte in the late 80s were celebrated thruout the Northwest.”  (Hard to see what could go wrong.)

A few months after the wedding the “aged and wealthy bride” is missing.  Her husband insists she is traveling… in Cuba.  The Captain of Detectives is planning on dragging Lake Union for a mysterious trunk. And James Mahoney “the ex-convict bridegroom” is held in the city jail on charges of forging various documents that allow him access to his wife’s resources.

Mahoney insists that they went to St. Paul, MN for their honeymoon, where they quarreled (coincidentally after Mrs. Mahoney signed papers allowing her husband power-of-attorney and access to her safety deposit box.)  The bride then departed to travel to Havana via New York.  The forgery charge arose after he used the papers to gain access to the safety deposit box.

In the weeks and months to come there are rumors, mysterious witnesses, blind alleys of inquiry, charges and countercharges, dueling lawyers and a cast of peculiar characters.  I’ve tried to list some of the more significant points on the timeline below.

May 26, 1921, p.1

A trunk lid and hair found in Lake Union by a houseboat resident near the Lake Union auxiliary power plant!  (Not the right trunk.)

A floating body seen in the bay at Edmonds! (Later determined to be a logger – May 27, 1921)

Mahoney sends a telegram to his wife care of the  N.Y. hotel where they had reportedly arranged to meet after her travels!  (No one has seen her there.)

May 27, 1921, p. 1

The female friend of one of the witnesses against Mahoney goes missing.  Rumors spread that Mahoney’s first wife also disappeared on a trip east.  Officials continue to drag Lake Union. 

May 28, 1921 p. 1

When grappling hooks fail to produce a body, divers (looking like something out of Jules Verne) are brought in to search Lake Union.  They fail to find a body.  Due to testimony of witnesses seeing someone like Mahoney rowing about Lake Union in the dead of night in a small white boat with some sort of large object in the stern, Capt. Tennant of the police remains convinced the body will be found in the Lake.

Mrs. Mahoney’s niece insists a letter, purportedly from her aunt, is a forgery.

May 30, 1921, p. 1

Stories and counterstories continue.  Mahoney’s first wife is located alive! (Score for Mahoney.) But says she left him because he was smuggling opium and tried to kill her! (Score for the police.)

May 31, 1921, p. 1

Mystery witness claims to have heard Mahoney jest about his wife’s death.  Divers still searching.  Police assert the Mahoneys did not board the train for St. Paul as claimed.

June 2, 1921, p. 1

A submarine or U-boat sled is brought in to be used in search.  Forgery hearing set for June 14.

As the days and weeks go by, the story occupies less and less space in the paper.  The County Commissioners offer a reward for information about Mrs. Mahoney’s whereabouts (June 2).  The search for the trunk goes on, but one can imagine that Capt. Tennant of the police is beginning to get some odd looks around headquarters.

July 30, 1921

Headlines again when a trunk (empty) is found in Lake Union.

And finally – Aug. 9, 1921, p. 1

The trunk is found with a badly decomposed body! Mahoney is back in jail.  The body is identified as Kate Mahoney by the wedding ring and false teeth.

Aug. 10, 1921, p. 1

Mahoney announces he will make a fight of it at his trial, and five people attempt to claim the reward for finding the trunk. Police search for a hammer which they believe was the murder weapon, along with poison, and sightseers from all walks of life visit the morgue to observe the remains.

There are then several days of reporting on various facets of the case leading up to trial.

Aug. 13, 1921, p. 1

This piece concentrates on the expected testimony of the expressmen that conveyed the trunk from the Mahoney apartment to Lake Union at Mahoney’s request.

Aug. 16, 1921, p. 1

There are reports of Mahoney’s increasingly odd behavior in jail and how his possible insanity would affect the trial.

Aug. 17, 1921, p.1

Mahoney is brought before a board of physicians to evaluate his mental ability to understand trial procedures and the charges against him.

Aug. 18, 1921, p. 1

Mahoney is declared sane, and doctors remark that he overplayed his role.  His mother and sister in an effort to help ”admitted that insanity was rampant in their family tree.”

(Probably not as helpful as they might have wished.)

Various legal maneuvers take up several weeks and are boring enough not to make the front page.  Plus the escape and pursuit of a convict from McNeil Island provides enough thrill for the reporters.

Sept. 19, 1921, p. 1

The case is back on the front page just before trial, with fellow prisoners charging that Mahoney plans to shoot up the courtroom.  Sightings of Mrs. Mahoney – alive – are also reported.  (But never verified.)

Sept. 20, 1921, p. 1

At the beginning of the trial process, one reporter interviews Mahoney and remarks, “Jim Mahoney ‘went insane’ in his cell again at 3 o’clock yesterday afternoon…”  A history of the case is printed to assist folks in following the trial, and a lengthy jury selection begins.

Sept. 22, 1921 and following

Actual arguments and testimony begin and continue over several days with both prosecutor and defense attorney scoring points, shaking witnesses, and building their cases.  Mahoney gives an interview every few days.

Oct. 3, 1921, p. 1

Verdict of guilty is returned on Oct. 3.  Mahoney’s lawyer announces plans to appeal. 

Dec. 1, 1922, p. 1

More than a year later, James Mahoney is executed on Dec. 1, 1922, at the State Penitentiary in Walla Walla.  His demeanor is described (stoic), as is his smile (sour).  One side article describes the reaction of his mother to the notification of his death.  Another describes how his 13-year-old niece, Margaret, led him “back to the faith in which he had been raised.”

The Seattle Star was digitized through a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities under the National Digital Newspaper Program.  The Star and many other American newspapers can be found online at Chronicling America (chroniclingamerica.loc.gov) at the Library of Congress.

Additional newspapers for Washington can be found at Historic Newspapers (www.sos.wa.gov/legacy/newspapers.aspx) at the Washington State Library’s web site.  The State Library is a Division of the Office of the Secretary of State.

Volume 11, July 23, 2015 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) IT ACADEMY WEBINARS

2) EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

3) PRESENTING THE GADGET MENAGERIE

4) 2015 DIGITAL LITERACY GRANT AWARDS

5) LINK TO VOTER INFO

6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

—————————————————————————————————————

1) IT ACADEMY WEBINARS

Have you heard? Funding for the Microsoft IT Academy was renewed for another two years, providing free access for all Washington residents through August 2017. Along with the online courses, Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification will continue, and we’ll soon introduce a new resource for digital literacy certification.

Join us for one of two online meetings to learn more and share ideas and best practices for the future of the IT Academy. Sessions will be held:

• Wednesday, August 13 from 8:30 – 9:30 a.m. PDT
• Tuesday, August 18 from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. PDT

A few minutes before the scheduled time, click to join the meeting.

Questions? Contact Elizabeth Iaukea, Project Manager Microsoft IT Academy at 360-570-5578 or [email protected]

—————————————————————————————————————

2) EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Washington State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State, is recruiting for three Library & Archive Paraprofessional positions at three correctional facilities.

For more information, please visit Branch Library Associate (In-training LAPP5)

Please share this announcement with anyone who may be interested.

—————————————————————————————————————

3) PRESENTING THE GADGET MENAGERIE

Would your library’s patrons like to explore some tech devices? Would your library’s staff like some hands-on experience with Kindle, Nooks, IPads, etc.? The Gadget Menagerie kits are available for loan to Washington libraries.

For details, please contact Joe Olayvar, Library Development, Washington State Library at [email protected].

—————————————————————————————————————

4) 2015 DIGITAL LITERACY GRANT AWARDS

The Washington State Library recently awarded 10 grants totaling $72,881.96 to public, academic, school and tribal libraries to support digital literacy efforts. Projects include career classes, new online curriculum, STEAM programs, family activities, and the Microsoft IT Academy.

Congratulations to the 10 recipients of the 2015 Digital Literacy grants:

• Asotin County Library
• Ellensburg Public Library
• Garry Middle School
• Garfield High School
• Nine Mile Falls School District
• Lakeside High School
• Nooksack Indian Tribe
• Pierce County Library System
• Seattle World Schools
• Wenatchee Valley College
• Whitman County Rural Library District

We will be working closely with the recipients to support the maximum success of their projects during the next year.

—————————————————————————————————————

5) LINK TO VOTER INFO

Since counties are mailing primary election ballots to voters now, the Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) and Secretary of State’s (SOS) Elections Division request Washington libraries consider adding voter information to library websites. Libraries across the state have always been wonderful partners in relaying information to voters on behalf of the PDC and SOS. Please help us move that partnership online, so that visitors to library websites can access voter resources with just a click of the mouse.

• Link to PDC site at http://www.pdc.wa.gov/MvcQuerySystem
• Link to the SOS MyVote at https://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/myvote/

Questions about the PDC link should be directed to Lori Anderson, PDC Communications & Training Officer. SOS Deputy Elections Director Allyson Ruppenthal can answer questions about the MyVote link.

—————————————————————————————————————

6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

July 27

• The Art and Science of Working Remotely (InSync); 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. PDT

July 28

• Data inclusiveness benefits for all (O’Reilly); 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. PDT

July 29

• Crowdfunding for Libraries: Technology Tips for Futuristic Fundraising (TechSoup); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT
• Open Educational Resources: Librarians as Advocates, Advisors, and Creators (Georgia Library Association); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT

—————————————————————————————————————

For more information and to register (unless otherwise linked above), visit the WSL Training Calendar at sos.wa.gov/q/training.

—————————————————————————————————————

The Washington State Library has gone social! Friend/follow us at:

   Facebook: on.fb.me/FBWSL;

   Twitter: twitter.com/WAStateLib.

From the desk of Jessica Aws, Library Associate at the Washington Corrections Center.

During April, the Washington Corrections Center Branch of the Washington State Library was a gathering place of poets. In celebration of National Poetry Month, the WCC library hosted a series of events aimed at encouraging artistic expression and building community bridges.

The events of the month kicked off with a poetry workshop that was facilitated by Suzanne Simons, a professor of Writing, Journalism, and Social Sciences at The Evergreen State College. Ms. Simons began the workshop by asking each of the 22 men who participated to introduce themselves and share what poetry means to them. Their words were powerful:

“Poetry is like breath. When I’m drowning in emotion…when I feel like I’ve dived down into a deep lake of it…when I start writing it feels like the first breath you take after being underwater for a long time.”

“Before, I had trouble expressing myself. I didn’t talk much. But then I started putting pen to pad and it gave me power. It gave me a voice.”

“I didn’t read much before I went to the hole awhile back, but when I was there I read a lot. I became a lover of words and a seeker of knowledge. When I write poetry, I try to capture the moment and bottle it up on paper.”

Over the course of two hours, as the men completed generative writing exercises and shared their work, the energy in the library was overwhelmingly positive and supportive. Every time one of the participants shared their poetry or gave a particularly insightful response, their words were greeting by a chorus of snapping fingers and murmurs of encouragement.

This atmosphere continued over the next several weeks, through two spoken word workshops taught by Christina St. Charles, a former theater student from The Evergreen State College. She has since begun a successful theater group at WCC. I don’t think the library has ever seen so much laughter, as the men good naturedly participated in voice exercises and tongue twisters. At the same time, I also don’t think that the library has ever seen so much raw emotion. At one point, one of the offenders read a poem that he had written while spending 27 months in solitary confinement. When he was finished, there were very few dry eyes in the group. “Most of us here can relate to those words,” one man said, “we’ve all been there. We’ve felt those emotions, and it takes a lot of courage to put that on paper, and even more to stand up in front of us all and say those words out loud.”

While every workshop was a resounding success, the real highlight of National Poetry Month at WCC was the Poet’s Open Mic event held on May 2^nd, 2015. It was truly a community event, in which over 30 offenders, plus students and faculty from Suzanne Simon’s Poetry in Community class and DOC staff from several departments came together to share poetry in a positive and uplifting event that was “scandalous good” according to one audience member. 

Throughout these events, what struck both staff and offenders alike was the ability for these men to be vulnerable. To be raw. To share things with each other that they never would have outside of these programs. “These events not only allowed us to open up for ourselves, but also made it possible for those of us who have lived such a segregated lifestyle to open up to others. Thank you for this source of freedom that many of us have not been able to experience in years!” 

Image courtesy North Pend Oreille Heritage collection

Library Clippings for the week of July 17, 2015

Library News

Mid-Columbia Libraries develop auto-renewal service
Mid-Columbia Libraries developed an auto-renewal service which went into effect on June 10. Auto-renewal is a service that automatically renews library materials that have not been requested by another customer and are eligible for renewal. The system tracks the status of all materials and knows which can be renewed and which are needed back to share with another customer. Items that are requested by another customer will not be renewed automatically; eBooks are also ineligible for auto-renewal. This unique service is currently found only in some beta testing libraries in the U.S. and academic libraries in Europe and Asia. (The Outlook, Othello, 6/11/15)

New library trustee sought on Lopez
With the departure of Bill Evans from the Library Board of Trustees after many years of service, the library is in need of another trustee to step up to serve. Send a letter of interest to: [email protected] or send a printed letter to Lopez Library, PO Box 770, Lopez Island, WA 98261 or drop it by the library. The current vacated position’s term lasts until August 31, 2017 with reappointment a possibility. (Island’s Weekly Newspaper, Lopez Island, 6/16/15)
Read the rest of this entry »